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View Full Version : Truck Series Losing Series Sponsor



muggle not
4th December 2007, 14:36
http://jayski.com/cts/ctsnews.htm (http://jayski.com/cts/ctsnews.htm)

Craftsman leaving series? UPDATE - Confirmed: Hearing that Sears Craftsman will be leaving as sponsor of the Truck Series following the 2008 season. The announcement is expected to be made within the next few days, possibly as early as tomorrow.(12-3-2007)
UPDATE: Craftsman will be out as title sponsor of NASCAR's truck-racing series beginning with the 2009 season, The Star has learned. No new title sponsor has been found to replace Craftsman, but a search will soon be getting under way, said Steve Phelps, marketing director for NASCAR. He said he believes NASCAR will have little problem finding a new title sponsor because of the increasing popularity of the series. "We haven't started a search, per se," Phelps said. "But what we want to try to do is identify companies that we believe would be a great fit for the series and a great fit for the fan base. So we'll get out there in 2008, the new year, and start discussions with new companies. No real timelines on when it's going to get done. But it will obviously get done." Craftsman's contract with NASCAR ends after the 2008 series. Craftsman has been the title sponsor since 1995, the year NASCAR founded the series. Over the past 13 series, the trucks have featured some of NASCAR's best racing. Television ratings in terms of total viewership have grown every season. Scott Howard, manager of marketing partnerships and activation for Sears, said his company had been in discussions with NASCAR about continuing sponsorship of the series for the past several months. But, he said, "We have come to the decision that we're going to be giving up our title sponsorship to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series at the end of 2008. We are fully committed to the series until the end of next season." Howard said that Craftsman does not plan to withdraw fully from NASCAR. He said his company will continue exploring efforts to maintain a presence in the series.(Kansas City Star)(12-4-2007)

Jonesi
4th December 2007, 18:02
You can take the question mark off your title:
http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/headlines/truck/12/04/craftsman.sponsorship/index.html

Sparky1329
4th December 2007, 18:17
The truck series would probably have little trouble attracting a new series sponsor if NASCAR would televise the races on regular network channels. Those who aren't fortunate enough to have SPEED channel are missing out on some great racing and great rivalries.

Jonesi
4th December 2007, 22:47
The truck series would probably have little trouble attracting a new series sponsor if NASCAR would televise the races on regular network channels. Those who aren't fortunate enough to have SPEED channel are missing out on some great racing and great rivalries.

The Cup & NW series TV deals run through 2014, I think the Truck deal was part of the same package so that's not going to change for a while.

muggle not
5th December 2007, 03:08
I am sorry to see the Trucks lose Craftsman as sponsor. perhaps we will eventually find out the real reason they are leaving. Under Brian's leadership we have seen all 3 Nascar Series change sponsors:

Winston to Nextel
Busch to Nationwide
Craftsman to ...........

Jonesi
5th December 2007, 09:06
I am sorry to see the Trucks lose Craftsman as sponsor. perhaps we will eventually find out the real reason they are leaving. Under Brian's leadership we have seen all 3 Nascar Series change sponsors:

Winston to Nextel
Busch to Nationwide
Craftsman to ...........

I'm not a big fan of Brian France but I don't think you can blame him for Winston leaving, that was much more deals with Congress and liability lawsuits finally catching up with them.

RaceFanStan
5th December 2007, 12:20
The bidding war will now begin & the Truck Series will be sold to the highest bidder ... http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/erm/hs.gif
I will be anxiously waiting to see what sponsor has the most money ... http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/erm/bn.gif

SOD
5th December 2007, 12:45
Those who aren't fortunate enough to have SPEED channel are missing out on some great racing and great rivalries.

all the NASCAR doom mongers will use the business numbers to point out that things aint rosy , what the numbers dont show is that the racing is still as good as ever.

Lee Roy
6th December 2007, 20:51
all the NASCAR doom mongers will use the business numbers to point out that things aint rosy , what the numbers dont show is that the racing is still as good as ever.

Which is why the Truck Series will have a new series sponsor long before any series currently without a series sponsor.

Jag_Warrior
15th December 2007, 18:42
I am sorry to see the Trucks lose Craftsman as sponsor. perhaps we will eventually find out the real reason they are leaving.

The same reason most things happen in modern day America: $

I had gotten used to saying Craftsman Trucks, as had most fans, I'm sure. But the Sears of 2007 is not the same Sears of a decade ago. And business is far from booming right now.Sears apparently wants to develop a new, trendier image for its brands. And pickup truck racing isn't part of that image. I take it as no more than that.

RaceFanStan
15th December 2007, 19:10
K-Mart & Sears are now merged ...
us old-timers haven't forgot the K-Mart fiasco of a few years ago ...
so I will say good-bye Sears Craftsman & GOOD RIDDANCE !!! http://www.motorsportforum.com/forums/images/icons/tongue-anim.gif

BobbyC
16th December 2007, 13:40
Stan,

After Kmart's fiasco, the company was bought dirt-cheap by an investor, Eddie Lampert.

Jag Warrior,

Sears was bought by Eddie Lampert into his investing empire.

Lampert is called by some investors as the next Warren Buffett.

Jag_Warrior
16th December 2007, 14:55
Yes, that's why I said that the Sears of 2007 isn't the same Sears as a decade ago. Lampert made a bond play that would have made Michael Milken proud. But with most of his net worth tied up in Sears Holdings' equity, and with Sears' free cash not being devoted to higher growth businesses, he's yet to prove himself to be very "Buffett like". He's tied to Sears, most of Sears' free cash is being plowed back into Sears... and Sears isn't doing so well right now.

Buffett is more diversified in his holdings, and tends to use the free cash of a loser to buy into other sectors. But time will tell how sharp Lampert really is.

tstran17_88
16th December 2007, 16:10
Any company interested shouldn't have to cough up alot to sponsor this series. Sears was paying 4 million a year. Based on what happened with the Busch/Nationwide bidding war (Nascar wanting 25 to 30 and only getting 10 to 12 million a year), I'm thinking they won't over value the product and could find a company willing to dish out 5 to 6 million a year.